The
first Willow and Tara special and not only did Dark Horse have Amber Benson
(Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) co-write the story but they got
Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) to illustrate it. If only all of
the BTVS one shots could receive this kind of creative attention.

“Wannablessedbe” showcases Willow and Tara, Sunnydale’s two favorite
witches, as they attempt to undo the magical mess created by Caitlin Macklin,
a fellow student and member of Sunnydale University’s Wicca group. Willow
and Tara used to belong to it but left after realizing the members wanted to
socialize more than practice magic. Caitlin wants to learn real magic and
believes her idols, Willow and Tara, can help her learn it. Willow and Tara
have other ideas about that plan, however, and Caitlin strikes out on her own
with disastrous results.

Christopher Golden and Amber Benson have done a fine job on this one-shot.
As you would expect from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story has humor,
horror and romantic elements. Christopher Golden is a veteran of the BTVS
prose novels and comics so he definitely has a handle on the characters and
the world they inhabit. First time comic writer, Amber Benson, brings an
understanding of the Tara character and the relationship between Willow and
Tara. I’d like to see Benson attempt some more comic writing whether it’s
in the Buffy universe or outside of it.

Terry Moore’s work on Strangers in Paradise has prepared him well
to handle a story with these diverse elements. His character work is as
outstanding as it is in SiP. He even captures the character’s
likenesses quite well particularly with Xander and Willow. SiP also has
its fair share of violent moments so Moore was able to illustrate the more
gruesome moments in Willow & Tara with ease. By far the best part
of having Terry Moore illustrate this one-shot was getting to see his work in
color once again. I’d love to see him bring his touch to more comics in the
Buffy universe.

I enjoyed this one-shot quite a bit but, as with all of the Buffy
comics, fans of the television show are probably going to get the most
enjoyment out of it.

You should be able to find this on your local comic store’s shelves.
If not, write to Dark Horse Comics, Inc., 10956 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR
97222 or visit their web site at www.darkhorse.com
and order it on-line.